Mediterranean Tuna and White Bean Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette

Welcome to Mediterranean Monday, Sheela Prakash‘s new monthly column of Mediterranean recipes. Here, Sheela will teach you all about the Mediterranean diet’s feel-good way of cooking and eating, and share vibrant, easygoing recipes. Cook with us using #mediterraneanmonday, and for even more great recipes, pre-order a copy of Sheela’s upcoming cookbook Mediterranean Every Day.

My simple strategy for effortless meal-worthy salads? Scour the pantry for canned goods, then lift them up with whatever in-season veggies and greens I’ve got. Case in point: this zippy, crunchy tuna salad that bursts with bright colors and fresh flavors. Making it is easy! Take a few cans of tuna and white beans; toss them in a vibrant, tangy vinaigrette made from pesto and lemon juice; and stir in some sweet and crunchy fennel, pleasantly bitter radicchio, and peppery arugula. It’s the ultimate no-cook dinner for these warm summer nights.

This salad is just one of many recipes I’ll be sharing as part of this new series, which celebrates Mediterranean cuisine and the diet that naturally stems from it. Each month, I’ll teach you about the building blocks of the diet and share feel-good, approachable recipes that center around them.

The Mediterranean diet has been named the very best diet to follow for three years in a row. As a Registered Dietitian, it makes me happy to see the diet get the credit it deserves, because I truly believe it’s the most wholesome way to eat. More importantly, it makes me happy as a home cook, because it’s exactly how I eat every day.

The Mediterranean diet really isn’t a diet in the traditional sense. It’s an everything-in-moderation set of guidelines and that puts nothing “off-limits” — including a glass of wine or a slice of cake. Rather than cutting out certain foods, the diet instead focuses on eating more of a handful of extra-wholesome ingredients like vegetables, whole grains, fish, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, and olive oil. All of these ingredients are rich in nutrients like fiber, protein, and heart-healthy fats that are naturally feel-good — and it doesn’t hurt that they’re pretty tasty, too.

Each recipe in this series will focus on at least one key ingredient in the Mediterranean diet, and this month’s recipe encompasses pretty much all of them. Tuna and white bean salad is a classic Italian dish that’s always been a favorite in my kitchen, and I’ve been leaning on it especially hard lately as I’ve been reaching into my pantry more than ever. It’s a protein- and fiber-packed salad that makes for a totally satisfying lunch or light dinner — especially during these hot summer months.

When it comes to tuna, I always keep my pantry stocked with olive oil-packed tuna. It’s richer in flavor and packed with more heart-healthy fats than water-packed varieties. As for the pesto, I encourage you to seek out the best you can find. My favorite store-bought brand is Gotham Greens. While it’s pricer than others, it’s worth it since you’re coating every bite of this salad in it. Better yet, if your garden is starting to overflow with basil, make a batch yourself.

While the arugula will wilt a bit after it’s tossed in the vinaigrette, I still feel strongly that this is a great make-ahead salad for meal prepping because the fennel and radicchio stay crunchy for days. Just give it a taste after it’s been in the fridge — it may need a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lemon juice to bring it back to its best self.